Installation - Debian OS
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      Debian OS Installation special case, step 11 - Install Debian to a RAID array (Deprecated)

      This article helps guide the user through installation of Debian (Linux) OS on a RAID array

       

      Overall installation flow

      1. Make sure that your motherboard BIOS is set to Legacy boot

      2. Start following Install Debian OS

      3. Reach Step 5 in regular installation path

      4. Return to this section of Installation Special Cases and start following steps described below

      5. Finish all steps from Special case Step 11 - Install Debian to a RAID array depicted below

      6. Return to Step 16 and finish following Install Debian OS

      7. Reboot the server

      8. Complete Install the boot loader (GRUB) steps detailed below

      9. Reboot the server

      For advanced users, there are other options that are theoretically possible but were not tested by our team:
      Software BIOS RAID: https://wiki.debian.org/DebianInstaller/SataRaid
      Hardware RAID: Check your raid controller settings

      Setting up the RAID array (41 steps)

      Step 11.1. Change partitioning type

      Set the partition of the disk to "Manual"

      Step 11.2. Select the first drive

      Select the first drive that you're going to use in RAID1 array

      Step 11.3. Create first empty partition table

      Create the partitioning table for the first drive

      Step 11.4. Select the second drive

      Select the second drive for the RAID array

      Step 11.5. Create second empty partition table

      Create the partitioning table for the second drive

      Step 11.6. Configure software RAID

      Now we need to configure software RAID. Select "Configure software RAID" option

      Step 11.7. Confirm RAID configuration

      Confirm writing operations to the storage drives for RAID configuration

      Step 11.8. Start MD configuration

      Select "Create MD device" option and proceed

      Step 11.9. Select array type

      Select RAID1 array type

      Step 11.10. Set the number of drives

      Enter the number of drives in the array. Enter "2" if you are following our manual

      Step 11.11. Set the number of spares

      Enter the number of spares in the array. Enter "0" if you are following our manual

       

      Step 11.12. Select drives for the array

      Select drives you want added to the RAID1 array. Select all drives if you are following our manual

      Step 11.13. Confirm change of partitioning tables

      Confirm writing operations to the storage drives for RAID configuration

      Step 11.14. Finish disk partitiong

      Select "Finish" to finish disk partitioning

      Step 11.15. Start LVM configuration

      Start configuring the Logical Volume Manager (LVM)

      Step 11.16. Keep existing partitioning

      Confirm keeping current partitioning layout for LVM

      Step 11.17. Create volume group

      Select "Create volume group" option

      Step 11.18. Name the LVM group

      Enter LVM group name."Ggrock-vg" is used in this installation

      Step 11.19. Select previously created MD device

      Select the MD device that we've created prior

      Step 11.20. Confirm keeping partitioning layout

      Confirm keeping current partitioning layout for LVM

      Step 11.21. Create the first LV

      Creating first logical volume. Select "Create logical volume"

      Step 11.22. Select the LVM

      Select the LVM we have created previously

      Step 11.23. Name the first LV

      Enter logical volume name. "root" is used in this installation

      Step 11.24. Set first LV size

      Enter "16G: value as the local volume size. 16G value is recommended

      Step 11.25. Create the second LV

      Creating the second logical volume. Select "Create logical volume"

      Step 11.26. Select the LVM again

      Select previously created LVM

      Step 11.27. Name the second LV

      Enter logical volume name. "swap_1" is used in this installation

      Step 11.28. Set second LV size

      Enter "4G: value as the local volume size. 4G value is recommended

      Step 11.29. Confirm all previous changes

      Confirm the changes performed in the previous steps. Two partitions, one MD device, LVM group and two logical volumes created

      Step 11.30. Format the root volume

      Format root volume. Select the root volume that was created previously. Pay attention to the name next to the LV. During this installation it should be "LV root"

      Step 11.31. Set "Use as" value

      Select "Do not use" for the "Use as" setting for the partition

      Step 11.32. Set the file system

      Select "Ext4 journaling file system" as the partition format

      Step 11.33. Set mount point

      Select Mount point as setting to set

      Step 11.34. Set mount point setting

      Select "/ - root file system" value for the Mount point setting

      Step 11.35. Confirm partition setup

      Select "Done setting up the partition" option to confirm the changes

      Step 11.36. Format swap volume

      Select the swap volume that was created previously. Pay attention to the name next to the LV. During this installation it should be "LV swap_1"

      Step 11.37. Set "Use as" value for second partition

      Select "Do not use" for the "Use as" setting for the partition

      Step 11.38. Set swap area format

      Select "swap area" as the partition format

      Step 11.39. Confirm second partition setup

      Select "Done setting up the partition" option to confirm the changes

      Step 11.40. Finish the partition setup

      Finish partitioning by selecting "Finish partitioning and write changes to disk" option

      Step 11.41. Confirm all changes

      Finally, confirm all of the changes made above

      Upon completing this step you should resume the main Debian Installation flow from Step 17. Configure package manager

      Install the boot loader (GRUB, 6 steps)

      After the installation is completed you should install the boot loader to all disks in your RAID array. By default Debian installer installs the boot loader only to one disk in the RAID array. You should install the boot loader to all other disks in your array to allow booting on disk failures, as well as in case when you reorder your drives.

      Step 1. Login

      Login as the root user.

      Your login is: root
      Your password is: whatever you set in Step 7. Set your root password.

      It is okay to not see the password characters as you enter them. Enter the password and press Enter

      Depending on your platform firmware (BIOS or UEFI) execute one of the commands below

      ---

      Step 2.1. BIOS mode

      Enter this in the console:

      1 dpkg-reconfigure grub-pc

       

      And press Enter

      --- or ---

      Step 2.2. UEFI mode

      Enter this in the console:

      1 dpkg-reconfigure grub-efi-amd64

      And press Enter

      ---

      Step 3. Start GRUB PC configuration

      Press "ok" when presented with this modal. Linux command modal should remain empty

      Step 4. Supply GRUB parameters

      Press "ok" when presented with this modal. Linux command modal should read "quiet"

      Step 5. Select RAID drives

      Select all drives that you have been added to the RAID array during the Installing OS on RAID array steps and press "OK"

      Step 6. Reboot the server

      After this you should be all good and set up with the Debian Software RAID.